Wilde Lake smoked the competition at the AAU Indoor Track and Field National Championship Meet at Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex in March.

The Wilde Lake team was made up of four athletes — Christian Saulsbury, TJ Lyles, Jason Macmillan, and Deanna Yancey — who competed in high jump, long jump, triple jump, 60 meter dash, 60 meter hurdles, 200 meter dash, 4×2, and 4×4, 4×8.

Deanna Yancey represented girls track for Wilde Lake at the competition. Yancey competed in high jump, long jump, triple jump, the 4×2, the 4×8, and the 4×4.

Deanna won gold in high jump, the 4×2 and the 4×8. She also placed silver in the 4×4 and received seventh place in long jump and fifth place in triple jump.

Jason Macmillan competed in the 4×4, 4×2, 60 meter, and the 200 meter dash. Macmillan won gold in the 4×4 and 4×2 while also placing fourth in 200, and sixth in the 60 meter dash.

“I was excited to compete with runners from other schools on the relay teams,” said Macmillan.

TJ Lyles competed in the high jump, the 60 meter hurdles, the 60 meter dash, and the 4×2. Lyles received first in the 60 meter hurdles and first in the 4×2.

“I felt great,” said Lyles, “I don’t get nervous. I love a crowd.” Even though Lyles won the 60 meter hurdles he was a little disappointed “After the 60 meter hurdles I was happy, but I felt I could have ran faster.”

Christian Saulsbury who already holds the school record for the 55 meter dash finished Nationals with a time of 6.40 seconds. Saulsbury competed in the 60 meter dash, the 200 meter dash, and the 4×2 relay team.

Christian claimed the indoor national title for the 60 meter dash while also placing third in the 200 meter dash and first in the 4×2.

It should come as no surprise that someone as fast as Christian was calm before his races. “I felt relaxed and leading up to my events I focused and had fun with it at the same time. I just went out to do what I know I do best,” said Saulsbury.

“After my events I felt excited, humbled and just grateful to make it as far as I did in the season on a national level,” said Saulsbury.

Christian is very optimistic about being able to repeat their success in the 2017 outdoor season. “I think we can all go to nationals for outdoor if we all work hard and go to practice like we did indoor and all take our roles serious we can make great things happen just like [during] indoor season,” said Saulsbury.

The Wilde Lake track team has high hopes for outdoor season after a dominant performance during the indoor season.